237-year Old White Wine Sold For $77,500

by Tim Elliott on February 7, 2011

Photo via Samantha Sans Dosage

Most people think that only red wines age for hundreds of years but the truth is that some white wines are suited for extended bottle age. This is primarily due to the acidity of the wine and is mostly associated with noble varieties such as Riesling.

But a wine made from the Savagnin grape in 1774 has just sold at auction for 57,000 Euros ($77,500) to a Swiss wine tasting group. The wine comes from the French region of Jura known for their Vin Jaune or “yellow wine” which this bottle was an ancient example of. In a winemaking process similar to fino Sherry, the wine is aged in neutral oak barrels where yeast grows on the surface of the wine preventing oxidation. After 6 years of reduction in the barrel the wine is then bottled without the fortification or fractional blending fino Sherry receives.

Since this bottle was sold to a representative of a Swiss wine tasting group we are sure to hear how it tastes. A tasting of the same 1774 Vin Jaune back in 1994 was described as, “excellent,” and scored 9.4 out of 10 points. I wonder what it’s like to drink such history?

Tim Elliott is a marketer, blogger and podcaster based in the Twin Cities. He founded Winecast in 2004 to share his passion for wine online. Tim has also written for Minneapolis City Pages, Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine and Honest Cooking.